DOCSLIB.ORG

Pinotfile Vol 6, Issue 47

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Pinotfile Vol 6, Issue 47 If You Drink No Noir You Pinot Noir PinotFile Volume 6, Issue 47 The First Wine Newsletter Exclusively Devoted to Pinotphiles December 3, 2007 Inside this issue: Fort Ross:Growing Pinot On the Edge Clos Saron 7 “It’s a long way from anywhere. It’s markedly cold - 10 degrees cooler Ramey Schulten 12 than Napa Valley on average. It’s extremely foggy. There’s no infrastructure. Pinot Briefs 13 It’s lonely. The locals don’t like outsiders. Strong winds break the vine Where are the Wine 14 shoots. There’s a high risk of devastation by wild pigs. Gophers frequent Scores in PinotFile? the area in droves.” Susan Keevil, The Wine News. June/July 2004 Growing Pinot Noir along the most western reaches of the Sonoma Coast might be regarded as pure folly to many, but the dedicated band of winegrowers who have accepted the challenge know that the fickle grape feels right at home here. This region is quickly becoming one of the epicenters of fine Pinot Noir in California. The Sonoma Coast AVA is the largest of the 13 AVAs in Sonoma County at 750 square miles. This cumbersome AVA was formed in 1987 primarily to allow certain wineries to include all of their scattered major vineyards within one boundary so they could use the “estate bottled” designation on their wine labels. “No two bottles are ever The Sonoma Coast AVA is defined by its truly identical: every coolness, with no more than 2,800 degree bottle is unique in its days of heat during the growing season. specific subtle nuances It is sandwiched between the mountains and expression.” and the Pacific Ocean, and with its high Gideon Bienstock, winds, daily fog, and cold temperatures, Clos Saron winegrower is a hostile environment only Pinot Noir could love. The vineyards are situated primarily above the fog line or in lower reaches where the wind blows off the fog. There are an endless number of microcli- mates and soil types in the Sonoma Coast AVA, but the common denominator is the area’s coolness. Volume 6, Issue 47 Page 2 The Sonoma Coast AVA extends from the Sonoma County border with Napa in Carneros to the east, to Marin County to the south, to the Pacific Ocean to the west, and to the Russian River Valley AVA boundary to the north. It overlaps five other AVAs including the Sonoma part of Carneros, a sliver of Sonoma Valley, the western part of Chalk Hill, all of Green Valley, and most of the Russian River Valley. Although the AVA is 517,000 acres and almost half the size of Sonoma County, only 7,000 acres are planted by about 50 growers with six wineries located within the AVA’s borders. Because of the unwieldy immensity of the Sonoma Coast AVA, a portion has been unofficially divided into the “true” Sonoma Coast. This subdivision is roughly from Jenner in the south where the Russian River empties into the Pacific Ocean to Annapolis in the north and from the beaches of the Pacific Ocean to 5-6 miles inland including the first two ridges of the Coastal Range of mountains and the western slope of the third ridge. Besides Annapolis and Jenner, usually Occidental and Freestone are included, although both are south of Jenner. Eventually, the true Sonoma Coast may itself be broken into smaller AVAs. A small portion, the Fort Ross-Seaview area, above 920 feet elevation, applied for its own sub-AVA designation in 2003. There are only ten winegrowers in Fort Ross-Seaview, which includes the area around Fort Ross. Fort Ross was established in 1812 by the Russian-American Company. In 1817, grapevines were brought from Peru and planted on a hillside near Fort Ross. These plantings predate others to follow in Napa and Sonoma counties. The area became known for logging and ranching, and it wasn’t until the later 20th century that grapes were reintroduced in any significant amounts. Mike Bohan was the first person in the modern era to plant grapes in the true Sonoma coast. In 1973, he developed a vineyard on Bohan Dillon Road which included Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. David Hirsch was another visionary who came to the area shortly thereafter. In 1978, he Volume 6, Issue 47 Page 3 planted Hirsch Vineyard on a high ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Cazadero. Hirsch Vineyard has become synonymous with the true Sonoma Coast. The list of subsequent pioneers in the true So- noma Coast reads like a who’s who of California Pinot Noir. The names include Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer (Marcassin), Lee Martinelli (Martinelli), Bill Smith (W.H. Smith), Ted Lemon (Littorai), Walt and Joan Flowers (Flowers), Mark Bixler and Steve Kistler (Kistler Vineyards), and Daniel and Marian Schoenfield (Wild Hog). More recently, there has been considerable investment in the true Sonoma Coast by several prominent Napa wineries including Caymus (Belle Glos), Pahlmeyer, Peter Michael, Benziger, and Joseph Phelps. Lester and Linda Schwartz came to the true Sonoma Coast from an unlikely location, South Africa. While students at the University of Cape Town in the 1960s, they met and shared their love for food and wine. They married in 1967, and emigrated to the United States nine years later, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lester longed for the country life he grew up with in South Africa and located a remote property in the high coastal ridges near the Pacific Ocean, just south of the small town of Fort Ross. He and Linda purchased the property, built an unusual house offering dramatic views of the sur- rounding countryside, and planted a vineyard. Linda studied viticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College and took classes at University of California Davis. Although her background was in music composition, she had an affinity for working the soil and oper- ating farm equipment. Lester and Linda, along with a small crew, began in 1994 to develop their 44- acre vineyard. They installed a sub-surface drainage system and miles of fencing to keep out the deer and wild boar. Preliminary plantings with a test vineyard indicated the area was ideal for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The vineyard is less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean, and is one of the closest, if not the closest vineyard to the ocean in all of coastal California. A total of 28 vineyard blocks ranging in size from one-half to two acres are planted in heterogeneous microclimates scattered over the ridge tops at 1200 to 1700 feet. Pinot Noir plantings included field selections of Calera, Pommard, Swan and Dijon clones 115 and 777. Crop yields at Fort Ross, like most areas in the true Sonoma Coast, are low, usually between one and three tons per acre. The cool climate produces very small berries with high juice-to-skin and juice-to- seed ratios. This leads to very concentrated flavors and amplified tannins. When ripe, the Pinot Noirs can be earthy, bold and dense. Ted Lemon (LIttorai) has characterized Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir as follows: “Muscle and sinew, grit, structure, more backbone and tannins than the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, peppery in leaner years with sage and savory as the prominent spices.” Dan Goldfield (Dutton-Goldfield) feels that what sets Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir apart is “the mineral element and very focused tannins compared with the Russian River Valley sweet fruit and floral elements.” Volume 6, Issue 47 Page 4 One of the unique features of the Fort Ross vineyard is the plantings of Pinotage. Lester and Linda had fond memories of Pinotage from their early years in South Africa. They sourced bud wood from two of the best blocks in South Africa and were the first private growers to brings these cuttings through the Foundation Plant Services that operates in conjunction with the University of California Davis School of Viticulture and Enology. Pinotage was originally bred in South Africa in 1925 at Stellenbosch Univer- sity by Professor Perold who crossed Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (often called Hermitage in South Africa and the source of the name which is confusing as Cinsaut is neither grown in Rhone or included in Hermitage wine). At first, it was enthusiastically touted as offering the flavors of Pinot Noir with the high yields and easy ripening of Cinsaut. However, it never offered the alluring flavors of Pinot Noir or even the taste of Cinsaut. In spite of this, Pinotage did develop a following and with appropriate low-yields and handling in the winery, it can be an original wine of interesting charm and distinctive flavors unlike any other varietal. When young it is said to taste like Gamay Beaujolais, as it matures it resembles a Rhone wine, and in maturity has the characteristics of a well-aged Bordeaux wine. The Schwartzes have had success with Pinotage, and theirs is one of the best examples in the world. For more information on Pinotage, consult the Pinotage Association’s website, www.pinotage.com.za. The inaugural vintage for Fort Ross Vineyard was 2001. Fred Scherrer (Scherrer Winery) was the ini- tial winemaker. Ed Kurtzman (formerly Bernardus, Chalone and Testarossa, currently Freeman and August West) started with Fort Ross in 2003. He made all of the wines in 2003 except for the Reserve Pinot Noir, which Fred made, and has continued to the present as the sole winemaker. Ed hails from Boston, Massachusetts, where he majored in history and sociology while attending the University of Massachusetts. While in college, he worked in a wine shop and subsequently moved to California to sell wine in the Bay Area.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Extremists of the Extreme Sonoma Coast
    THE EXTREMISTS OF THE EXTREME SONOMA COAST The Fort Ross-Seaview AVA may be only three years old, but its ability to produce distinctive and thrilling wines has been recognized for far longer. Anne Krebiehl MW profiles the early pioneers and more recent producers who are brave enough to farm its inhospitable but rewarding coastal ridges he instructions were clear: Drive on, even when the tarmac ends. The vineyards of the Fort Ross- Seaview AVA are really remote, made so not by geographical distance—Jenner and Healdsburg are just one and a half to two hours away—but Tby terrain. Fort Ross-Seaview clings to the inhospitable, crunched-up, forested coastal ridges of northern California, between Pacific Highway No.1 and Sonoma Valley, right along the San Andreas Fault. The roads winding through these ridges are dark in broad daylight, so shaded by giant redwoods and large madrone that light barely filters through. Where forests were logged, open pasture is dotted by giant valley oaks and craggy rocks. You pass more raccoons than other cars. Everywhere, the proximity of the great, cold, deep, and endless Pacific is palpable. Sea air constantly mixes with the smell of conifer. This is where the Pacific and North American Plates meet. This is where the earth moves. Ocean and shore combine in a way that both unsettles and compels. On foggy days, the forests are almost primeval. In brilliant sunshine, the views are breath-taking: of the Pacific and of small vineyards, laid out like giant picnic blankets down the sides of a slope, surrounded by Douglas fir and ranching pasture.
    [Show full text]
  • The West Sonoma Coast: the Region and Its Wines
    No. 77 NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2019 AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY PRICE $25 The West Sonoma Coast: The Region and its Wines Unique Terroir Proposed AVA The Vineyards 1 viticultural area, its modern wine history dates back to the 1960-70s. During this period explorers and adventurous vintners attracted to this wild area of redwoods groves and Table of Contents sheep farms purchased land and began growing grapes. The history of the area reads like a who’s who of Sonoma’s wine industry. The early pioneers established their Introduction vineyards in the Fort Ross-Seaview area of high coastal Acknowledgements ridges, mountains, and dense redwood forests located The Region within a few miles of the Pacific Ocean situated above the fog line. In the decades that followed new vintners in Recent History search of other coastal growing conditions planted their The Vineyards vineyards up the coast around the Annapolis area and Winemaking down the coast towards Freestone, Occidental and the Sebastopol Hills. These three main regions are expected The West Sonoma Coast Vintners (WSCV) to constitute the new West Sonoma Coast AVA. Challenges and Opportunities Winery Profiles and Wine Reviews The report next examines the vineyards and viticultural practices of the West Sonoma Coast growing area. Many Annexes: of the sub-regions of the West Sonoma Coast are on the 1. Soil Map of Sonoma County fringes for successful viticulture, the edges of ripening for 2. Selected Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Many of the vineyards are small scale and yields are low. Due to the scarcity of labor and remote and difficult locales of many of the vineyards and the high quality objectives of the winemakers, most operations have to be carried out by hand.
    [Show full text]
  • California's Edgiest Wine Region: the Western Sonoma Coast
    Katie Kelly Bell, Contributor 03/06/2014 @ 12:11PM |178 views California's Edgiest Wine Region: The Western Sonoma Coast The grapes in Nick and Andy Peay’s vineyards are in a precarious state most of the time. Quivering on the edge of the San Andreas Fault, shrouded in hours of chilly fog and subjected to steady Pacific breezes, it’s a wonder these grapes can ripen at all. The Peay’s and their winemaker Vanessa Wong are not alone in the Western Sonoma Coast’s risky winemaking climate. In fact, they enjoy some highly regarded company including wineries such as Hirsch, Joseph Phelps and Littorai. I’m always impressed and slightly agog at winemakers who seek the outermost edge of anything; it takes certain boldness and, some might argue, insanity, to invite extreme challenges into your winemaking. Andy Peay admits there were more than enough naysayers when he and his brother started farming the coast. “Everyone said it was way too cold and that we’d never get grapes to ripen. In truth, we have had problems with ripening; some years are just really tough. Bill Phelps, president of Joseph Phelps wines, agrees with Peay’s assessment, noting that the Western Sonoma Coast wines exemplify a very cool climate style of chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah. “We would say we are truer to a Burgundian style; our wines are higher in minerality and not as plush on fruit. They tend to be more structured, lower in alcohol, and less extracted and fruit-dominated as wines from further inland, such as the Russian River Valley.” Phelps is also one of the founding members of the West Sonoma Coast Vintners Association which includes wineries from Annapolis, Fort Ross/Seaview, Occidental, Freestone, Green Valley and the Sebastopol Hills.
    [Show full text]
  • Wine-Book-210709.Pdf
    02 04 08 09 21 52 53 54 02 04 08 09 21 52 53 54 2 SPARKLING Brut, Naveran — Cava (Penedès), 2018 .............................................................................................................. 8 Brut Rosé, Michel Briday – Bourgogne, NV......................................................................................................... 12 Brut, Taittinger — Champagne, NV.................................................................................................................... 18 ROSÉ Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah Peyrassol — Mediterranee 2020 ............................................................................ 10 Touriga Nacional, Maçanita - Douro 2019 ......................................................................................................... 14 WHITE Melon de Bourgogne, Eric Chevalier — Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu 2018 ................................................... 10 Sauvignon Blanc, Vincent Delaporte — Sancerre 2019 ..................................................................................... 16 Sauvignon Blanc, Spy Valley — Marlborough 2020............................................................................................ 11 Pinot Grigio, Jermann — Fruili-Venezia Giulia 2019 ........................................................................................... 14 Albariño, Fillaboa — Rias Baixas 2018 ................................................................................................................ 11 Grüner Veltliner, “Crazy Creatures,” Malat —
    [Show full text]
  • Sonoma County Pinot Noir
    2019 sonoma county pinot noir We’ve been making wine in Sonoma County for over ten years now and along the way, established a dynamic network of friends and colleagues that include vineyard owners, growers and winemakers. While we successfully navigated and maneuvered our way through the négoce market in the past, Valravn represents the next evolutionary step for us. Because of those forged relationships and friendships, we have exclusive access to grapes from fantastic vineyards and the team to oversee hands-on production from vineyard to bottle. We are proud of our past achievements and excited to realize the culmination of a decade of learning and focus, bringing authentic wines to the table that we have found, seen, and touched at every step. Valravn wines are out of the gate approachable, delicious, and table ready. VINEYARDS & WINEMAKING Valravn Pinot Noir is an exploration of Sonoma County, anchored in the Russian River Valley. Vineyards span at far NORTH as Annapolis, EAST as Sonoma Mountain, WEST as Freestone, SOUTH as Petaluma Gap. Noteable vineyards include Sunnyslope (Bennett Valley AVA), Gap’s Crown (Petaluma Gap - Sonoma Coast AVA), Grand Vent (Petaluma Gap - Sonoma Coast AVA), Gravenstein (Russian River), and Walala (Annapolis - Sonoma Coast AVA). In the cellar, hand-sorted grapes undergo cold soak followed by primary fermentation in small open- top stainless steel tanks for 12-14 days. Following primary, the wine was transferred to a blend of 25% new Cavin, François Freres, Remond, and Tremeaux barrels for 11 months malolactic and aging. PRESS - 90 points Wine & Spirits “Focused on vineyards in the Russian River Valley, this has simple red cherry flavors, light tannins and gentle elegance.
    [Show full text]
  • July 28 - JULY 31 2019 Table of Contents
    JULY 28 - JULY 31 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS Schedule of Events.................................................................................4-6 West Sonoma Coast History and Information..........................................8 Map of West Sonoma Coast Vintners.........................................................9 Formal Seminar Details......................................................................10-17 The Economics of Yield of the West Sonoma Coast..................................19 Guest Speaker Information.......................................................................20 Typical Soils of the West Sonoma Coast...............................................21-22 Participant Member Wineries..................................................................23 Winery Contact Information..............................................................24-32 Sponsors.............................................................................................33-35 Notes....................................................................................................36-37 Farm Camp Contact..................................................................................39 2 #FARMCAMP19 #WESTSONOMACOAST Notes: SCHEDULE of EVENTS SCHEDULE of EVENTS Notes: SUNDAY, JULY 28 2:30PM Depart for Timber Cove 21780 North Coast Highway 1, Jenner 5:30PM Small Vines Wines Presentation by Paul Sloan Green Valley Sub-Region Presentation 4:15PM Arrive at Timber Cove. Express Check In Welcome Dinner at Small Vines Winery 2160 Green Hill Rd,
    [Show full text]
  • Amateur Wine Results
    2019 Harvest Fair Amateur Wine Medal Exhibitor Name Class Description Description Vintage Gold Mark Murray Finest Red Amateur Wine 100% Barbera - Shenandoah Valley 2016 Double Gold Ken Weise Finest White Amateur Wine Chardonnay/Albarino blend 2018 First Peter Goyton Humorous Label Paget's Blend 2016 Second Paul Cowley Humorous Label Cowley Cellars Syrah 2017 Third Mark Murray Humorous Label 100% Barbera - Shenandoah Valley 2016 First Frank Barbieri Traditional Label Zin made from one acre parcel on Lovall Valley road. 2017 Second Paul Cowley Traditional Label Advoco Bin One-French Oak 2018 Third Dan Schafer Traditional Label AmaZin Prime 2017 Medal Exhibitor Name Class Description Description Vintage Gold Chris Maxwell All Sparkling Wines Sonoma Sparkler 2018 Bronze Kevin Holloway All Sparkling Wines Blanc de Noir (Pinot Noir) 2015 Bronze Kevin Holloway All Sparkling Wines Blanc de Blanc (Chardonnay) 2018 RRV AVA. 13.8% ABV. Smooth minerality with floral aromas of white ginger, honeysuckle & Gold Steve Clifton Sauvignon Blanc BOC 2018 jasmine. Gold Bob Bennett Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley Estate 2018 Gold Vance & Kathy Harris Sauvignon Blanc SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 Silver Ginger Glockner Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Silver Chris Maxwell Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc "On the Lees" 2018 Silver Kip Miller Sauvignon Blanc 2017 - Mark Terrien Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Double Gold Vance & Kathy Harris Chardonnay BOC CHARDONNAY 2018 Double Gold Jim & Jocelyn Gromo Chardonnay 2017 Gold Ginger Glockner Chardonnay 2018 1 2019 Harvest Fair Amateur Wine Gold Joseph Hansen Chardonnay 2016 Gold Gregg Mangan Chardonnay Oaked Chardonnay from the benchlands of the Ukiah Valley 2018 Silver Bob Bennett Chardonnay Russian River Valley - Indindoli Ranch 2018 Silver Nicholas Burgess Chardonnay Riverledge Chardonnay 2017 Silver Mark Catelani Chardonnay 2017 Chardonnay 2018 Chalk Hill AVA.
    [Show full text]
  • August 1 2018 #Farmcamp18 #Westsonomacoast Table of Contents
    July 29 - August 1 2018 #farmcamp18 #westsonomacoast Table of ConTenTs Schedule of Events.................................................................................4-7 West Sonoma Coast History and Information..........................................8 Map of West Sonoma Coast Vintners.........................................................9 Formal Seminar Details......................................................................10-15 The Economics of Yield of the West Sonoma Coast..................................17 Guest Speaker Information.................................................................18-19 Typical Soils of the West Sonoma Coast...............................................20-21 Participant Member Wineries..................................................................22 Winery Contact Information..............................................................23-28 Sponsors.............................................................................................30-31 Notes....................................................................................................32-35 Farm Camp Contact..................................................................................36 Notes: sChedule of evenTs sundaY, JulY 29 5:00 pm Hotel check in: Sebastopol Inn 6:00 pm Welcome Dinner at Freeman Vineyard and Winery Presentation at Freeman Winery by Ken Freeman 10:00pm Optional - After Dinner: The Star Bar 6957 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol MondaY, JulY 30 8:00am Depart Sebastopol Inn in Host Vehicles 8:30am-9:30am
    [Show full text]
  • Noble Tree Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Wickersham Ranch
    NOBLE TREE ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2014 WICKERSHAM RANCH BACKGROUND Noble Tree Wines was founded in 2010 to meet the demand for high quality, varietally correct wines at value pricing. The grapes for these wines have been sourced from premium growers in California but increasing demand for Noble Tree Wines resulted in a purchase of two Estate Vineyards, Wickersham Ranch and Chalk Hill Ranch – Russian River Valley from which Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Zinfandel are now produced commencing with the 2013 Vintage. This wine sourced entirely from our Wickersham Ranch Vineyard is located in Northwest Sonoma county, wedged between the Rockpile AVA and the Sonoma Coast AVA. The vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec at an elevation of 2,200 feet on a western facing slope. The Vineyard is one of the most remote sites in all of Sonoma County and offers the ideal microclimate to grow grapes for the production of “ Each Noble Tree Wine offers a unique mountain Cabernet Sauvignon of the highest quality. expression of our Estate Vineyards and our focus on the art of fine winemaking APPELLATION and provides unsurpassed value.” Russian River Valley, California Jeremy Baker VARIETAL COMPOSITION President 100% Cabernet Sauvignon WINEMAKING & VINTAGE NOTES Harvested at 26.5 brix, sorted and cold soaked for five days, this wine was fermented with native yeast. AGEING WINEMAKER Aged for 10 months in 40% neutral French oak, 60% stainless steel. John Wilson TASTING NOTES A beautiful, classic cool-climate, mountain-grown 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromas of lead pencil, and spiced red fruits.
    [Show full text]
  • Petaluma Gap, Ripe for a New AVA? Will This Region Within the Sonoma Coast Soon Be Made an Official American Viticultural Area (AVA)?
    EDITOR SPEAK Petaluma Gap, Ripe for a New AVA? Will this region within the Sonoma Coast soon be made an official American Viticultural Area (AVA)? BY VIRGINIE BOONE 0 Will the Petaluma Gap soon be made an official American Viticultural Area (AVA)? Winemakers and growers who work with the grapes from this area certainly hope so. “People have been drinking Petaluma Gap wines for years, they just don’t know it,” says winemaker David Ramey. He makes one of California’s most stunning Syrahs from Rodgers Creek Vineyard, which lies within the boundaries of the Gap but is currently labeled as a Sonoma Coast wine. The Sonoma Coast AVA, long considered unwieldy by many, was created in 1987, well before the nuances and differences of Sonoma County Pinot Noir were truly understood. Ramey, and colleagues like Anna Keller of Keller Estate, Rickey Trombetta Stancliff of Trombetta Family Wines and Justin Seidenfeld of Rodney Strong Vineyards, all work with Petaluma Gap grapes. They want to give consumers more detail about where a wine’s grapes are grown. “Saying Sonoma Coast when the vineyard is in the Petaluma Gap is akin to saying Côte de Beaune if the vineyard were in Chassagne-Montrachet,” says Ramey. Rodgers Creek Vineyard sits 800 feet above sea level on the southwest face of Sonoma Mountain, also its own AVA. It sits within the path of cold Pacific air that defines the Petaluma Gap, marked by significant cooling winds that funnel through a 15-mile opening in the coastal mountain range. It centers around the town of Petaluma, about 40 miles north of San Francisco.
    [Show full text]
  • The Smart Traveler's Guide to Sonoma Wine Country
    4/26/2019 The Smart Traveler’s Guide to Sonoma Wine Country - WSJ This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit https://www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-smart-travelers-guide-to-sonoma-wine-country-11556292926 April 26, 2019 ON WINE The Smart Traveler’sThe S maGuidert Trav etoler ’sSonoma Guide to S onoWinema W inCountrye Countryby Lettie Teague TheA ftfirster vis itiinng a w inthree-parteries over th eseries county’ s moni lliSonoma,on-plus acre s,California our wine columnist concludes that there are really three Sonomas. Here are the don’t-miss destinations in each of them After visiting wineries over the county’s million-plus acres, our wine columnist concludes that there are really three Sonomas. Here are the don’t-miss destinations in each of them. ’LL BE IN NAPA for a few days and thought home to some of its best known wineries. Mer- “I I’d stop by Sonoma. Can you recommend ry Edwards Winery, Williams Selyem, Hart- a few wineries to visit?” I’ve been asked some ford Family Winery, J. Rochioli Vineyard & version of that question quite a few times, as Winery and Martinelli Winery are all here. The have many Sonoma winemakers I know. Never wines tend to be more generously textured than mind that the Napa locales on these would-be those from West Sonoma Coast. travelers’ itineraries may be hours distant from Central Sonoma towns of note include For- wineries in sprawling Sonoma.
    [Show full text]
  • Spring 2021 April - May - June Spring Release 2021 | Featured Wines: Featured: Spring Into Pinot Noirs Legend
    SPRING 2021 APRIL - MAY - JUNE SPRING RELEASE 2021 | FEATURED WINES: FEATURED: SPRING INTO PINOT NOIRS LEGEND DE LOACH 2020 ROSE OF PINOT NOIR , SONOMA COAST* VINEYARD EXCLUSIVE WINES, At DeLoach Vineyards, we strive to produce distinctive wines that spotlight unique terroirs in a socially and environmentally responsible way, BY JOHN LEGEND practice sustainable viticulture and utilize minimally intrusive winemaking The LVE Collection by techniques. The grapes for our 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir were carefully John Legend is the perfect chosen from cool, fog-influenced vineyards sustainably farmed in the harmony of passion, Sonoma Coast AVA. eloquence and Napa Valley Enticing aromas of strawberry, raspberry and rose petal waft from the tradition, LVE wines are a glass in this 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir. Juicy flavors continue through to unique series of rich, soulful the palate and are complemented by notes of red cherries and orange and complex notes inspired blossom. This is a crisp wine with bright acidity and a refreshing finish. by true love, produced in collaboration with Napa RETAIL PRICE $28.00 | MEMBER PRICE $22.40 Valley’s renowned Raymond Vineyards. Legend Vineyard Exclusive was a dream long JCB 2019 NO.12 PINOT NOIR, SONOMA COUNTY* in the making. As with his (new vintage release) music, John searched for the right collaborator, a vineyard whose pursuit of the perfect blend and standards of excellence equaled his own. With roots deep in the CONVIVIAL, INSPIRING, AMOROUS. JCB N° 12 represents the number of Napa Valley and award-winning wines known for beautiful balance, finesse and guests Jean-Charles has discovered to be the perfect size for a dinner power, Raymond Vineyards was the perfect match.
    [Show full text]